Donald Trump stunned the world after defeating Hillary Clinton in the US election.
Washington: Republicans retained their lock on the House for two more years early today as GOP candidates triumphed in a checkerboard of districts in Florida, Virginia and Colorado that Democrats had hoped Donald Trump's divisive comments about women and Hispanics would make their own.
Democrats who had envisioned potentially big gains in suburban and ethnically diverse districts instead were on track for disappointingly modest pickups. Republican contenders were buoyed by Mr Trump's surprising victory in his White House bid against Democrat Hillary Clinton and his appeal to white working-class voters.
Expectations had been low that Democrats would win the 30 seats they had needed to capture House control. But both sides had anticipated they would cut the historic GOP majority by perhaps a dozen seats, which now seemed unlikely.
Republicans currently hold a 247-188 majority, including three vacant seats, the most the GOP has commanded since their 270 in 1931. By today morning, Republicans had at least 233 seats guaranteeing control and just five of their incumbents had lost. The GOP retained seats in Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Wisconsin that Democrats coveted, and Republicans prepared to build on their six-year run of House control.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who won a 10th term, called Mr Trump to congratulate him on his win, and pledged to work together.
"We are eager to work hand-in-hand with the new administration to advance an agenda to improve the lives of the American people," Mr Ryan said in a statement. He said Mr Trump's victory "marks a repudiation of the status quo of failed liberal progressive policies".
It was initially unclear what impact the marginally smaller size of the GOP majority would have on Mr Ryan, who'd angered some Republican lawmakers by refusing to campaign for Mr Trump.
While one member of the House Freedom Caucus was defeated, several newly elected Republicans could bolster it. That would increase conservatives' leverage to demand their way on issues like curbing spending and government regulations.
In Florida, freshman GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo won a race that underscored how Mr Trump's damage to Republicans would be limited. With around 7 in 10 of the Miami-area district's voters Hispanic, Democrats targeted it and the race became one of the country's most expensive with an $18 million price tag.
But Mr Curbelo distanced himself from his own party's nominee and prevailed.
Virginia freshman Rep. Barbara Comstock kept her seat in the Washington, D.C. suburbs despite Democrats' attempts to lash her to Mr Trump. The two sides spent more than $20 million in a district of highly educated, affluent voters that both sides had viewed as vulnerable to a Democratic takeover.
Democrats who had envisioned potentially big gains in suburban and ethnically diverse districts instead were on track for disappointingly modest pickups. Republican contenders were buoyed by Mr Trump's surprising victory in his White House bid against Democrat Hillary Clinton and his appeal to white working-class voters.
Expectations had been low that Democrats would win the 30 seats they had needed to capture House control. But both sides had anticipated they would cut the historic GOP majority by perhaps a dozen seats, which now seemed unlikely.
Republicans currently hold a 247-188 majority, including three vacant seats, the most the GOP has commanded since their 270 in 1931. By today morning, Republicans had at least 233 seats guaranteeing control and just five of their incumbents had lost. The GOP retained seats in Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Wisconsin that Democrats coveted, and Republicans prepared to build on their six-year run of House control.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who won a 10th term, called Mr Trump to congratulate him on his win, and pledged to work together.
"We are eager to work hand-in-hand with the new administration to advance an agenda to improve the lives of the American people," Mr Ryan said in a statement. He said Mr Trump's victory "marks a repudiation of the status quo of failed liberal progressive policies".
It was initially unclear what impact the marginally smaller size of the GOP majority would have on Mr Ryan, who'd angered some Republican lawmakers by refusing to campaign for Mr Trump.
While one member of the House Freedom Caucus was defeated, several newly elected Republicans could bolster it. That would increase conservatives' leverage to demand their way on issues like curbing spending and government regulations.
In Florida, freshman GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo won a race that underscored how Mr Trump's damage to Republicans would be limited. With around 7 in 10 of the Miami-area district's voters Hispanic, Democrats targeted it and the race became one of the country's most expensive with an $18 million price tag.
But Mr Curbelo distanced himself from his own party's nominee and prevailed.
Virginia freshman Rep. Barbara Comstock kept her seat in the Washington, D.C. suburbs despite Democrats' attempts to lash her to Mr Trump. The two sides spent more than $20 million in a district of highly educated, affluent voters that both sides had viewed as vulnerable to a Democratic takeover.
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